Today has been a very good day in the land of leaks.
The collaborative efforts between the two reigning forces in the pop music industry, Godga and Beysus, have surfaced: “Video Phone” and “Telephone.”
“Video Phone” is of course not entirely new, having already been released on I Am…Sasha Fierce back in 2008. But along with the song’s impending single release comes a brand new, mega-wattage collaboration: A “featuring” spot by Madame Gaga.
As if the song wasn’t already good in the first place, the ladies jazz up the original with an overly dramatic, Tarantino film-like Western twang introduction. Add in Gaga’s verse (“Hubba, hubba!”), “Tell ’em, B,” and the induced orgasm ending, and you’ve got yourself a superstar extended mix.
“Telephone,” on the other hand, is the soon-to-be second single off of Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster, with a brand new, mega wattage collaboration: A “featuring” spot by Queen Beysus.
While the fan forums and tweet responses has been lukewarm at best, I happen to find myself enamored. What’s not to love?
There’s a harp, some glitchy electro noises, a beat recalling Timbaland‘s unusually non-annoying “The Way I Are,” and above all, rampant telephone talk! Just because it happens to be less concept-heavy than her latest work doesn’t make it any less Gaga–even if it was originally penned with Britney in mind.
At the same time, I have to play devil’s advocate for a moment: While I adore both of these tracks, does anyone else feel as though the “featuring” spots are unnecessary–if not somewhat invasive?
Sure, it’s almost always an automatic “epic” when two divas share the stage (“No More Tears (Enough is Enough),” anyone?), but mixing up the swagger of “Video Phone” with Gaga’s theatrical delivery seems all sorts of wrong. Similarly, hearing Beyonce run through the Auto-Tune ringer of “Telephone” feels…well, it just feels downright dirty.
Then again, who can resist a good beat?